Falling
by Lain Fyrs
Summary: Then it hit him. His roommate was not in the next room over, sleeping, the alleyway had happened, and he didn't own any black sheets.
1. Introduction

**Falling**

**Summary: Then it hit him. His roommate was not in the next room over, sleeping, the alleyway had happened, and he didn't own any black sheets.**

**Alright… This is my miniature chaptered story. It will be about four or five chapters; give or take a few. It should be complete in about four or five weeks… but looking at my track record when it comes to updating… give it a couple of months.**

**WARNING. PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE STARTING: This story contains graphic descriptions and depictions of gory activities and actions (I.e. Disembowelment, dismemberment, blood uses and murder)**

**It also contains physical and emotional depictions and descriptions of RAPE. Yaoi, Hentai and Yuri (along with erotica) fans: This does NOT mean hard-core sex. This is the kind of thing that causes victims to commit suicide and women and men in certain situations be forced to do awful things to avoid it. It is not something to be taken lightly.**

**Thanks, and I hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy or any of it's characters.**

**Introduction.**

_"And once more, tragedy has struck our city of Midgar. Yet another body has been found, being identified as the reported teenager who went missing just over a week ago. This crime marks the fifteenth attack by the serial rapist and murderer who has haunted the streets for the past five months. Police have asked that all civilians not go out alone and to stay in constantly crowded areas."_

The news anchor switched screens and began to talk about the abnormally cold weather the metal metropolis was experiencing.

Cloud sighed from behind the counter of the small coffee shop he worked at. Reaching under the small cash register in front of him, he flicked a switch, replacing the news channel with a scrolling menu. The few customers in the small seating area turned back to their beverages at the loss of their entertainment, instead turning to each other to discuss the most recent incident.

The young man looked down at the newspaper in front of him, before grimacing when he was met with a picture of a young teenaged girl lying on the banks of a half frozen river, her blue lips grey in the black and white picture. The words over the picture made him scowl in disgust, shaking his head. "We've still got hope…" he whispered to no one.

Shuddering, cloud tossed the paper into the recycling bin next to his stool, and went back to staring out the front windows at the grey frozen rain that fell down on the equally grey pavement.

A chuckle rang out behind him, and Cloud glanced behind to him to see the large black barista leaning against one of the coffee grinders. "What's so funny?" Barret chuckled some more and shook his head. "News freaking you out, Spikey?"

Cloud scowled again and turned back to the windows. A large hand clapped him on the shoulder and shook him. "C'mon, you're letting some killer scare you?" Barret laughed loudly and a few of the patrons gave him some strange looks.

The door to the staff room swung open and a young woman walked in. She looked at the two before placing her hands lightly on her hips. "It's not something to joke about Barret. You should be scared too." He snorted and shook his head. "No serial anything would go after a big man like me Teef." At that moment another young woman bounded through the door. Jumping onto the large man's back, she snatched up his wallet and waved around the small picture of a teenaged girl.

"Watch our Barret. If the crazy guy hears you bad mouthing him he'll go off and steal your little girl!" She cackled loudly and ran back through to the staff area, with Barret chasing after her quickly.

Tifa sighed and turned back to Cloud, who frowned.

"Can you wait for Yuffie and walk home together? I know she says she can handle anything, but it would be safer." She laughed lightly when a the other woman looked out from the door. "Oh come on! I could beat up that fucker any time!"

She stuck out her tongue before ducking back into the staff room. Cloud smiled slightly and looked apologetically at the rather disturbed customers before turning back to his female friend, nodding his head.

The short woman skipped out the back entrance of the shop, shivering at the cold air while Cloud followed after.

Yuffie spun around and faced him before grabbing his hands and pulling him down the small side alley. The two walked onto the main boulevard and merged into the afternoon crowd. She groaned at the slow pace that the people around them walked, all in no rush to be separated from the safety of numbers.

"Aw man, Tifa didn't have to worry about nothin'. No one would try anything with this many witnesses around." She skipped slightly ahead of him, jerking his arm every time she bounced. She suddenly stopped and turned back to him, dropping his hand and pointing at him. "But even in a dark empty alleyway, the fucker would forever regret the day he crossed path with the ultimate bad-ass fighter Yuffie Kisaragi!" She did a mock fist pump before running ahead of him.

Cloud sighed and sped up to catch up with her, finally catching one of her swinging arms. The two stood against the traffic and the ice cold rain spraying against their frozen faces and hands. His teeth chattered as he bent over next to her ear.

"This guy's been at large for such a long time and the police haven't even seen him. Even the ultimate bad-ass fighter should be careful." He warned her quietly, his voice barely audible over the chatter of those around them.

He glanced around quickly, shuddering at the fact that anyone could have the blood of fifteen people on their hands. Yuffie made a rather pathetic scared face and stuck her tongue out at him, before she grabbed his hands and pulled him along the street with her towards the large apartment complex. Letting go of him, she bounded off towards the nearest building, jumping onto the low stone wall.

She turned towards him and waved, laughing. "I'd be more worried about you Cloudykins! If I were the kidnapper I'd definably go after your cute ass!" Cloud scowled again when she laughed and ran into her building, shaking his head and heading into his own.

The greying apartment door creaked open in protest to the cold air and the sudden movement of its hinges. Dropping his bag on the floor by a small shoe rack, Cloud walked across the entranceway into a small sitting area where a younger man sat watching a news report.

_"Once more, we request that civilians do not take this situation lightly, no matter what age, gender or race one may be. The victims so far have been men and women from the Northern Continent, Wutai area, Junon area, Mideel area and Midgar area. They have been aged twelve to fifty-seven. Our on scene reporter is with the head of police to bring you some more details…"_

The screen changed to an older man standing next to a uniformed officer with long silver hair. The officer stared at the camera with seriousness and spoke in a commanding voice.

_"We the police force are working our hardest to find the criminal. We ask that any information pertaining to any of the incidents or any unreported disappearances be given to the force either through our secure phone number or in person at one of the stations. Should anyone have any information, please allow us to use it to end this."_

A remote clicked and the screen blanked out. The man on the sofa stretched his arms and yawned, sighing. "Victims _so far?_... Aw jeeze."

Turning towards Cloud, he let a lazy hand push through spiked dirty blond hair. "Hey. How was work?"

Cloud sighed and let himself drop down onto the couch next to him, his head falling back against the back. "This rape and murder business is really freaking people out. Less and less are leaving their houses to come out, even onto the main road to get a coffee."

Shaking his head, his roommate ruffled his hair before smiling brightly to him. "Don't worry about it Cloud. The police will catch whoever it is and then everything will be back to normal. Captain Sephiroth hasn't had a crime he couldn't stop, and the detective agency from central has gotten them into it as well."

Cloud glanced down at his friend's uniform, the gold police badge reminding him that Denzel knew more about this than he did. "Whatever you say. Have you told Marlene you're on this case yet?"

Denzel groaned and pointed at a dark patch on his arm. "Yeah, and you can imagine how happy she was about that."

He chuckled and the two sat in silence, before Cloud spoke up. "I can understand why she'd be so worried. Though it's funny how she and her dad have completely different reactions to this whole thing. He acts like the entire thing is a joke."

"That sounds like Barret to me." Denzel laughed before making a face. "I bet he hopes that the killer will get me so that he can have her all to himself again."

Cloud shook his head and sighed, closing his eyes. The clash of the rain against the old windows of their apartment drowned out his thoughts. "Murders, rapes, kidnapping, robberies… this city used to be so safe!" He groaned. A hand ruffled his hair and Denzel chuckled. "Bet you wished you stayed back up in Niebelheim, eh?" He snorted and stared at the younger man incredulously. "Oh sure. There, you get raped and you can't tell anyone because chances are you're related to them. That goes really well with the rest of the town."

They laughed and turned back towards to black screen. A small frown graced Cloud's expression and he glanced over and his friend.

"Be careful, okay?"

Denzel looked over at him and smiled sadly. He wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a brief hug. "I will." He stopped for a second, before barking out a laugh. "Besides, I'm on the captain's team. The guy's a monster. If that rapist went after me then he would find himself on his ass in jail with the green eyed demon staring at him with a gun at his head before he even pulled his fly down." They both laughed at that and the mood lightened considerably.

"Anyway, if I died, Marlene would drag me back just so that she could give me another a bruise."

**-To be continued.**

**There is the beginning… **

**The actual chapters will be at least one thousand words longer than this, most likely twice as much as this introduction.**

**I hope you enjoyed it!**

**-Please review (It makes me feel good about myself.)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Note: There will be no warnings before a chapter with graphic scenes. It would ruin the effect of the story.**

**Non-User comment replies:**

**Subaru: There are several crime stories that are around a similar plot… ish. I've read two, one of which that I stopped when it hit a plot twist that I thought was terrible, and the other which only has the prologue up. The latter was actually what made me start writing this… along with an obsession with CSI and Criminal Minds (derp). Though as far as I know the entire story isn't like either of them, so I shouldn't have to worry about any issues there. I was going to make Sephiroth the commissioner or something of the like, but I was reminded of Lazard and how little contact he seemed to have with everyone in Soldier. I want Sephiroth to be really… looking for term… there with the force, therefore being a greater influence. (You can see how Denzel seems to be in total awe of him) So captain was the best choice. And thank you very much, I try. And that was a long reply… Oops.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters.**

A middle aged man stepped out of his small van, slamming the door behind him and walking towards a dark building across its empty parking lot. He shivered, pulling his worn coat closer to himself to ward off the early morning chill. As he walked, a light rain began to fall, quickly escalating into a downpour. Cursing under his breath, the man began to jog towards the building, his feet slapping against the wet pavement.

Suddenly a second pair of feet joined his rhythm, and he turned to see who else was running from the rain. Glancing across the lot, he frowned when no person came into his view. He shrugged and began to head to shelter once more, pinning the extra sounds as an echo.

He finally reached the small building, and walked around the corner to a pair of rusted metal doors. Pulling a ring of keys out from his pocket, he began to fumble with the lock, drowning out any other sounds except the rain with its jangling.

The keys fell from his hands when a hand smashed his head into the hard metal.

Groaning on the ground, he looked up at the dark figure that stood over him; his vision blurred and tinted red. The man coughed and blood splattered onto the wet pavement, and he stirred feebly when a hand pressed against his chest.

"You've got a nice pair on you." A voice whispered, and he jerked away. "Get away… fucker." The injured man's voice slurred and his vision darkened. He coughed again and more blood fell to the ground. "You'll do perfectly." The voice whispered again, and he found himself being pulled across the ground.

In front of the building, the rain washed away the blood that would have been the only trace of the occurrence.

_One week later_

The phone rang from the living room, easily blaring through the thin walls of the apartment. Cloud looked up from his book and sighed, getting up from his bed.

Glancing into the door next to his own, Denzel looked up at him and waved his hand down the hall, turning to his magazine. The blond shook his head and headed down the hallway, towards the small table that sat in front of the couch. He leaned over the back of the worn down sofa and pulled at the small cordless phone, pressing it to his ear and pressing talk.

"Hello?"

A familiar deep voice sounded from the other side, but Cloud didn't recognize it. "Good afternoon. Is Denzel there?" He moved back down the hall and popped into his roommate's room. "Yeah, one sec."

He handed the phone to the younger man, before leaning against the doorframe.

"Speaking?" Denzel spoke lazily into the phone, flopping onto his bed and closing his eyes. They sprang open almost immediately, and he sat up straight, his brows furrowing. After a few seconds, he sighed, and tossed the phone back to Cloud, who stared at him questioningly.

"That was the Captain." He explained, getting up and beginning to pull on his uniform, which had sat on the ground for the past night, and looked rather unkempt. "What happened?" He asked, tossing him the jacket and rested near his foot.

Denzel swore loudly and pulled the jacket on, moving past Cloud and grabbing his keys. "Number sixteen happened. That's what." He pulled his boots on and headed towards the door. The older man followed him to the door, frowning. His friend turned towards him and scowled.

"You'll have to walk to work today, so be careful." He looked at his older friend with concern in his eyes. "Stay on the main road and make sure there are at least a few people around before going anywhere else." Cloud nodded and clasped his shoulder.

"I'll be fine, you just go to work."

Denzel sighed and left the apartment, leaving the blond alone in the room.

He turned and sat on the couch, resting his head in his hands. Glancing up at the small clock on the wall, he frowned, realizing he'd have to leave earlier if he were to make it on time. Pulling on his coat, he grabbed his bag from the small bench in the entranceway, closed the door behind him, and walked onto the cold street.

The people on the sidewalk moved slowly, clumps of people traveling together. Cloud watched a small cluster of young teenagers moving together, their hands gipping each other's tightly as they ran into an empty store. An old lady sat on a grey bench, staring at each person that walked by with suspicion.

Moving to the side to walk around an especially slow moving group, he winced when he collided with another moving body.

The sound of a bag ripping and contents clattering to the hard stone made him turn, and he was met with a thin man leaning over the ground, groceries scattered in front of him. He sighed and walked back to him, bending over and picking up a fallen can.

The man looked up at him in unconcealed surprise, and took the can from him cautiously. Thin, greasy brown hair fell over his face as he picked up the rest of the fallen articles. He stood up slowly, towering over Cloud easily, despite his seemingly minuteness. He whispered something inaudibly, and the blond looked at him questioningly. "I'm sorry?"

The man looked down at him again and whispered once more. "…Thank you."

He smiled softy and shook his head. "It was no problem." He turned away and waved. "Have a nice day."

He reached the coffee shop without any more trouble, and walked into the back room to be greeted by Yuffie, who jumped on him. "Just you and me today Cloudy!" She smiled, pulling him to the lockers. "He looked at Barret's locker and noted that it was indeed empty. "Why?"

She smiled, unusual sad for a few seconds. "Tifa had to visit a friend, but Barret has taken Marlene to Costa Del Sol for the next three weeks." She frowned, regaining her old self quickly. "He said they had planned it for weeks, but I think he's just being a chicken!" She laughed, before bouncing back into the store.

He watched her go off, before turning to his locker and frowning. He let his head fall against the side of the locker, sighing.

Regaining himself, Cloud quickly put on his apron and moved into the store front, placing himself behind the counter and forcing a smile onto his face.

His eyes widened slightly when he was met with the man whom he had bumped into before.

The man visibly was surprised as well, and the two stared at each other in silence, before Cloud remembered his job. He grabbed a cup and pulled out a pen, turning towards him and smiling. "What can I get for you?" Then man snapped his head down at him, and stuttered for a second before replying slowly. "… Tall bold please." He spoke in his quiet whisper once more.

He nodded his head and put the cup under the machine filling it and turning back to the man. "That will be four gil please." The cash register closed and he looked up at the tall man, smiling. "Have a nice day."

The man stared at him for a second, before nodding and turning towards the door, leaving quietly. Cloud watched from the corner of his eye as the man stopped outside the window and stared back inside for a second, before continuing down the street.

He shivered, and even Yuffie remained quiet as they stared at the place that whcih the man had stood. She reached down and gripped his hand tightly, both of them shaking slightly.

"We're walking home together today." She whispered, her voice wavering, not sounding at all like Yuffie. He nodded his head.

Cloud pulled the grate across the windows as Yuffie locked the door. The two stood in front of the shop and looked down the street, frowning when there was no one there. Her hand grabbed his and he held it tightly as they walked along the boulevard.

"Shit. Where is everyone?" He whispered, jerking his head towards the young woman. She shook her head and sped up, pulling him with her.

As the apartment complex neared into view, the slowed down slightly, but Cloud glanced around them as they passed the silent buildings that lined the road. He gulped slightly and shivered as a cold wind blew by them, and he gripped Yuffie's hand harder.

He jumped when a hand gripped his shoulder.

Crying out the two of them spun around wildly, eyes wide. They both let out their breaths when they were greeted with the sight of a face they recognised in a police uniform.

"Fucking hell Vince!" Yuffie cried out, making the black haired man wince. He instead turned to Cloud who stared at him accusingly.

"Common sense dictates that in certain situations one does not sneak up on people like that. Gaia Vincent, you gave me a heart attack." He spoke harshly, trying to calm his inflamed nerves. Vincent shook his head and sighed, pushing away a swearing Yuffie from his side. "It was not my intention. I apologize, but I have to ask that you return to your homes now. Captain Sephiroth has ordered all civilians to remain in their houses so any disappearances can be reported immediately." Cloud frowned and nodded his head. He grabbed Yuffie by the arm and pulled her towards her apartment, before turning back to the older man.

"Can you check to see if Tifa got home? She was out today so…" He broke off, shuddering. Vincent nodded and turned away, walking towards a small black van that sat at the corner of the street.

After dropping Yuffie off at her place, he went to his own and was momentarily surprised to find that he was alone. Glancing out the window at the empty streets, he realised that Denzel would probably be home late with everything that was going on.

He ungracefully let himself fall onto the worn couch, resting there for a few minutes to relax. Leaning over, he grabbed the remote and flicked it on, before picking up his book from where it sat on the small coffee table.

"_The plot bunny is a small, mysterious creature-" _He flipped through the book, stopping on his spot and settling down to read for a while. "_-is known to reside in creative minds and-"_ He glanced up at the clock, frowning and biting his lip impatiently. "_-no known cure for an infestation-" _

The door slammed open and Cloud jumped, falling off the couch and whacking his head against. Vaguely he heard the sound of fast moving footsteps before a pair of hands pulled him up and sat him down back onto the couch.

Regaining his senses, he looked up to see Denzel staring at him with a ghost of a smile on his lips. "I think you need to relax a bit." He laughed slightly, sitting down next to him. "That… would probably be a good idea." Cloud groaned, staring at the screen.

The channel switched, and a news reporter stood in front of a large weather map. "_..and we can expect a small amount of rain for the next few days. After that, the sun is going to come back through and it will be warm once more. People, get ready go to back outside."_ The T.V. flicked off, and Denzel snorted. "As if anyone is going to go outside right now." He leaned back and flung his arms across the back of the sofa, groaning loudly.

Cloud looked at him, and sighed.

The two sat in silence, until rain began to splatter against the window again.

"Tell Tifa to leave the store closed for a few days." Denzel spoke suddenly, staring at him in seriousness. Cloud nodded slowly, picking up the phone.

He was met with a voicemail recording, and he frowned, before remembering that Vincent would go find her. He left a message, and then set the phone down on the table, leaning over his legs and letting out a ragged sigh.

"Dammit." Denzel swore quietly. "Sixteen people Cloud. Sixteen."

He nodded his head and sat back up, clapping the younger man on the back. "At least Marlene is safe." He chuckled "So he actually listened to me when I told him to get her out of here. First sign of the apocalypse Cloud. We're gonna die."

Cloud laughed along with him, before grimacing at his last words.

Denzel left an hour later, telling him he'd be back in the morning.

Cloud woke the next morning with the phone ringing off the hook, and lightning flashing through the window.

**To be continued-**

**Cliffhanger… (Duh duh duuuhhhh)**

**I never thought I'd get two chapters up in one day. First sign of the apocalypse dear reader. We're gonna die. Seriously.**

**Please feed my ego and review.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Note: There will be no warnings before a chapter with graphic scenes. It would ruin the effect of the story.**

**After a very long and emotional break, I have decided and worked on completing this story. Currently I have written up to chapter 5, however they still need to be edited and lengthened. The outcome of this story has changed drastically since it's conception, however in some ways I feel that my chosen ending will be much more appropriate to the theme.**

**Thank you very much to everyone who has continuously sent me messages over the last half a year or so. I owe many things to all of you, and this story is now dedicated in part to you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters.**

Cloud vaguely heard the phone ring.

At first he thought it was part of a dream he had been having, and closed his eyes slowly, already falling back into the depths of sleep. The phone rang once more, and he opened them completely, flinging off the covers.

Getting up from bed, he glanced at the clock, frowning when it showed the early morning hours. The phone continued to ring and he headed towards his door, muttering sourly. "Who the fuck would be calling at this time?"

He pushed his door open and walked down the hall, all the while the ringing filling the apartment. Moving into the living area, he leaned over the couch and let his hand hover over the phone.

It stopped ringing.

Sighing, Cloud let himself relax over the back of the sofa, closing his eyes. The voicemail recording clicked on, and he listened to Denzel's voice come through.

"_Hi, you reached the spiky duo, Denzel and Cloud. Neither of us are here right now, so just leave a message if you're looking for Blondie, and call my cell if its me you want."_ The tone rang and Cloud stood up, deciding to listen to the message at a more appropriate time. Turning away from the phone, he took a step towards the hallway when the sound of a mouth much too close to the receiver blared through the loudspeaker.

"_Shit… Cloud, please be there."_

He froze, glancing back at the phone.

"_I mess up man. It's him… I… I don't know what to do."_

Cloud grabbed the phone, turning it on and slamming it to his ear. "Where are you? I can come and get you out of there." He started to head towards the door, coat in hand. _"No! Stay at home…" _There was a sudden sound of a gunshot and a loud curse, then he could hear Denzel running and panting. "_My cell fell, only… damn… only home phone worked. Call the station. I'm in the fourth district, near where that arcade is." _ Cloud stopped, hand on the doorknob. "Just get somewhere where there are people, alright? I'll make sure help gets to you."

The line shut off suddenly and he could feel his heart pounding. Quickly he dialed 911.

"_Midgar emergency services. Please state your name and emergency."_ A cool female voice came from his receiver.

"Cloud Strife. My roommate is a police officer and he just called to say that he's being chased by… by.. him. He asked me to call because he dropped his phone." His words were jumbled and rushed as he tried to get all the info to her as a fast as he could. Every second that it took could be a second too late for Denzel.

The line was silent for a second, but he could hear yelling from the woman and several other voices joined in. The phone crackled and people were moving.

"_This is Cloud, right?" _A male voice came through, sounding a little older than him. "_We lost track of Denzel less than ten minutes ago. Where is he?"_ Cloud sighed in relief since they were probably already looking for him. "Fourth district. I told him to head towards the main area. He... he broke his phone and only our number worked." There was more shouting and a door slammed. _"We're on our way to there. Now I want you to stay there and not leave the house, lock the door and don't let anyone in without checking beforehand alright? We'll make Denzel call you when we get him back. You understand?"_

"_Cloud?"_

Cloud slammed the door behind him, already running down the hallway of the apartment. He didn't bother going to the elevators; it would take too long. He skipped several steps as he went down the stairs, clinging to the railing with tight fingers. Three floors passed by before he left the stairwell, running out of the building.

The streets were completely empty as he ran through the city. Even the district bridges had no guards, all asleep at home without having to worry about people crossing at this time of night. The streetlights barely illuminated the pavement below them, leaving pitch black gaps between each pole.

The fourth district was a business area, filled with huge warehouses and corporate buildings. Faintly he could hear machinery working in several blocks, but he strained his ears for the sound of his friend.

Cloud stopped at a corner, leaning over with his hands on his knees, panting.

'Where the hell is the police?' he swore internally, before heading off again.

He heard the gunshot after less than five minutes of searching, as he was headed towards the arcade that he and Denzel used to frequent before it closed. Images of his friend and him playing there rushed to his mind as he sprinted to where shouts and the sounds of feet slapping against pavement came from.

Another shot came and Cloud increased his speed when he heard a pained yell.

Swinging around a corner, he stopped when he noticed no one was there.

He walked slowly, glancing around behind crates and into alleyways for his friend or his pursuer. But no one was there, and the noises had stopped.

Suddenly there was a scream.

Before he even realised what he was doing, Cloud found himself at the entrance of a dark alley. I quiet cry came from a small huddled figure on the ground. Without thinking he ran towards him, dropping on his knees and lifting up his head a bit.

"Denzel?" He whispered quietly, shaking his friend slightly. He stirred, a pained groan coming from his mouth with a splatter of blood. More dripped from his arm and stomach, pooling on the ground underneath them. Cloud could feel it soaking into the knees of his jeans and coating his hands.

"Cloud… get… out." Denzel's voice was cracked and he coughed. Carefully he stood, pulling his roommate up with him and wrapped an arm over his shoulders. "C'mon. The police are coming and we'll be able to go home. Just help me out here."

Denzel's body shook and his steps were unsteady as they headed back out of the alley. He stumbled and they both nearly went over, but a large gloved hand caught his arm.

"Someone's messing with something they shouldn't be."

Something hard stuck him in the back of the head, and Cloud gasped as his body fell over. A heavy boot planted itself on his back and twisted it slightly.

Next to him Denzel whimpered, trying to drag himself away from their attacker. The man grabbed his collar and pulled him back, sighing slightly.

"You're just making this harder for yourself, officer. I can end this cleanly and even kill your friend here without doing anything else to the both of you if you just let me." His voice was deep, but barely above a whisper as he spoke to them.

Cloud felt him kneel and pull up his uniform slightly, examining the gunshot wound in his stomach. He tsked, letting the clothes fall down again. "Well, I can't use that anymore. Let's see if your friend has anything I can use instead."

Panic filled him when the gloved hands pulled up his shirt, starting to flip him over a bit as well. One pressed to his stomach, moving slightly upwards.

A quiet laugh came from him as he let go of his shirt and pushed him back onto his front. The boot lifted and he stepped back. Cloud looked back slightly, looking at the man that was going to kill them.

He was very tall, thin and white. But the shadows covered his face and a hat covered his hair. All he could see was a dangerous smile as a gun was pulled from his pocket.

Denzel screamed when the bullet struck him in the chest, his head knocking back into the pavement. He lay shaking on the ground as blood poured from his fresh wound. The gun was cocked once more and Cloud held his breath, waiting for the second shot that would end his life.

Suddenly bright lights flooded the alleyway, and the sound of sirens and guns having their safety taken off echoed throughout the district. The killer froze, glancing at the dozen or so police officers that stared at him, guns pointed at his chest. The grin disappeared, replaced by an annoyed frown. Within a second he was gone, running down the alley and disappearing at the end.

Several officers went after him, their feet splashing in Denzel's blood that was slowly leaking across onto the main road.

Trembling, Cloud crawled over to his friend, hands touching his chest where the bullet was still lodged. Tears quickly started to drip onto his bloodstained shirt, where his chest was heaving and twitching.

A pair of hands pulled him back, as paramedics rushed in with an oxygen machine and a stretcher. Desperately he tried to follow them as they carried him into the ambulance, but the officer holding him led him towards one of the police vans.

The officer took him into the van, motioning to another officer who quickly got in and turned on the engine. Cloud was starting to find it hard to breath, air coming in with shorts gasps and wheezes.

"Cloud, I want you to breath, alright?" The male voice from the 911 call was talking to him, trying to get him to calm down. "Cloud, stay with me here. There is no one that can hurt you. Denzel is in good hands, he will be okay. You just need to breath."

Something was pressed to his mouth and air flooded into his mouth. He coughed, trying to pull away but a hand held his head and made him breath in the oxygen. The person beside him sighed in relief as his breathing slowed to a more normal rate and his body stopped shaking quite as much. The hand that had been holding him moved down to his neck and rubbed it slowly.

"That's better. Okay, we're taking you to the station, where we can get you cleaned up and somewhere safe, alright?" Slowly he nodded, closing his eyes slightly. Cloud trembled, gripping the seat.

When they reached the station there were people running around in a panic. Police officers rushed into the van the moment they had left it, speeding off with sirens blaring down the road. Inside the phones were ringing from calls by people who wanted to know what had happened. Several more officers stood around a desk with a map, pointing out the place of the most recent attack.

The moment they walked in he was led to a small room, where the man from before went into a cupboard and rummaged around.

He was maybe a year or two older than him, with spiked black hair and bright blue eyes. He glanced back at Cloud every few seconds, sending him reassuring glances and smiles whenever their eyes met. From the shelf he pulled out a plain white t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants, along with socks and underwear. After that he headed to another door which turned out to be a washroom.

"Wash yourself and put these on, alright? I'm afraid we'll need your clothes as evidence because of how much blood is on them." Cloud nodded, looking at one of the closed off showers in the room. The officer moved back to the door after putting the clothes down on a small bench. "If you aren't out in 20 minutes I'll have to check on you. I'm Zachary Fair, but call me Zack. If you need anything, just knock on the door and I'll try to help."

The door shut and Cloud was left alone.

**To be continued -**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Note: There will be no warnings before a chapter with graphic scenes. It would ruin the effect of the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy or any of its characters.**

Cloud let the hot water pour over his head.

He made the mistake of looking down as it went over his body. The sight of the blood, Denzel's blood, flowing down the drain made him run out of the shower and throw up in the closest toilet. He spent a few minutes retching with his head pressed to the porcelain after his stomach had been emptied, before making his way back to the shower.

He made it quick, scrubbing his body until it was smarting. But there was no blood left on his skin and hair.

The water shut off and Cloud toweled himself off before slipping on the clothes that Officer Zachary had left on the bench. Once he was dry he opened the door slightly, looking around for the man.

He was there in a flash, pushing by him to put his bloodied clothes in a bag.

"Alright, now just grab a pair of shoes in your size and we'll head over to the office." He waited until he was ready before leading him back into the main building.

It had cleared out since they had entered. The phones were silent and several of the emergency response receivers were crowded around one desk. A couple of officers watched them, pity and sadness on their faces when they noticed Cloud behind the other officer. Quickly they moved through another door, where people at desks typed away or attempted to stay awake with their coffee cups.

Officer Zachary took him into an office and sat him in the seat across from his own. He turned on the computer and pulled out a sheet. "Alright, can you just fill this out for me quickly while I get everything set up?" Cloud took it, nodding. "Yes sir."

He made a face. "Uhg, please, just call me Zack."

Cloud filled out the information form in silence, putting down his number and information quickly. Zack grabbed it from him the moment he was done and glanced over it before putting it in a folder on the desk.

"Alright, so I'm not going to ask you about what happened until the Captain and the detectives on this case get here. I know it's not fun having to remember what happened over and over again in this kind of situation." The phone rang on the desk and he answered it, putting it down within a few seconds. "They'll be here in the next half hour. They're still in the fourth district."

Cloud nodded, clasping his hands and staring at them in silence.

"Denzel is still in critical condition, but they've removed the bullets and stopped the bleeding. He'll make it." Zack told him gently, leaning on the desk. He watched him as the minutes passed by, checking his computer every few seconds. The older man tried to work at the computer for a few minutes, but he kept glancing over at Cloud, ready to jump in if the stress of the situation finally smashed into him as the adrenaline wore off.

Finally the door clicked open and three men walked in. Cloud glanced up. Two he didn't recognise, so they must have been the detectives from central that Denzel had told him about. But the third was the famous face of the captain of the Midgar police force; Sephiroth.

The man glanced at him for a second before pulling up a chair and placing it across from him. The detectives stood behind him, one of them pulling out a recording device and setting it down on the desk in-between them.

"I am Captain Sephiroth, Mr. Strife. The men behind me are detectives Tseng and Reno. They are here to help with the investigation and needed to be here in order to hear what happened in the fourth district." Cloud found it hard to look at the captain, who had bright green eyes that looked like they saw everything. His voice was as deep as he remembered it being on the phone, though it sounded clearer in person.

"Mr. Strife, I need you to tell me exactly what happened shortly before you calling our station at exactly 2:52 this morning until the time when our officers showed up at the scene where you and Officer Denzel were being attacked. " He clicked on the recorder and waited patiently.

Recounting what had happened in the last hour or so was without a doubt one of the hardest things Cloud ever had to do. He told them about the phone call, and how he had run out to find him since he knew where Denzel tended to go in that area. When it reached the point where the killer had shown up his voice cracked and he had to stop. Tears burned in his eyes and he looked down into his lap until the moment had passed. Taking a deep breath, he looked back up at the four men who watched him and continued his story without stopping.

The men in the room were silent when he finished, only broken by the sound of the captain turning off the device. Zack's face was hard, eyes slightly red but he refused to show any other sign that it had disturbed him greatly. One of the detectives, a calm looking man of Wutaian descent pulled out a phone and began to type away at it quickly.

"While it is within my duty to reprimand you for leaving your home during an ordered curfew, instead I must thank you." Sephiroth spoke slowly, watching the younger man carefully. "If you had not distracted the criminal at the time that you did, your friend would not have survived."

Zack nodded, giving him a smile.

The other detective spoke up, a younger man about the same age as Zack with bright red hair and dark glasses on. "For a blondie, you sure used your brains there kid." He laughed a bit, giving Cloud a lopsided grin.

The captain stood, waiting for the detectives to pass him before turning to Zack. "Zachary, I need you to set up a proper guard up for Mr. Strife. Make sure he has someone to stay with because we'll need to search his and Officer Denzel's home for any possible links between him and the other victims." Zack nodded, saluting him and quickly typing on his computer.

Once the captain had left he turned back to him, pulling out a couple of files.

"I'm going to set you up with an officer that I think you know, so it would be easier for you." He handed him a paper with Vincent's face on it, along with a bracelet. "You'll need to wear that all the time, even when you sleep."

Cloud looked at it curiously before unclipping it and putting it on. After that he looked back at Zack who was just stapling a few more files. "Why do I need a guard?"

Zack paused and sighed.

"As much as I'd like to say that it's all over and done with, I'm afraid it's not even close." He leaned back in his chair and regarded Cloud with serious eyes. "Denzel can't be touched by him anymore because he's in the hospital, and even if the murderer is a doctor, no one can be left alone with him. You, however, we can't exactly keep you in here without a warrant, and we don't want to put you through that. The murderer has seen your face and knows you have a connection with Denzel, and it's not hard at all to look in a phonebook and see your name next to his. We're just gonna keep you under watch in case he does try to go after you. The sooner we find him, or if he moves on to a new target, then we can let you go."

At that moment there was a knock on the door and Vincent came in, immediately walking over to Cloud.

"Valentine, he'll need to stay at your house until further notice, understood?" Zack asked him, standing up. Vincent nodded and immediately took Cloud by the arm and led him to the parking lot and his car.

The moment they were both seated Vincent turned on the engine and upped the heat before leaning back and closing his eyes. After a few minutes he turned to his friend.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his deep voice filled with concern. It was the most emotion Cloud had seen him express in ages, and it scared him a little. He nodded, watching his friend. "I have stuff at my house for you, but do you need anything else today?" Cloud shook his head and buckled his seatbelt as they pulled out of the station.

When Cloud woke up the next morning, he couldn't remember where he was.

He sat in Vincent's guest bedroom, looking around in confusion. He recognised the room, as he had stayed overnight at his friend's place before, but he could not remember how he got there. Looking down at himself, he noticed that he wasn't even wearing his own pyjamas, or even his own clothes.

At that moment the door opened and Vincent walked in. He paused in the doorway, making sure that his friend was awake before walking in and sitting down at a chair placed at his bedside.

"You were asleep for a while. It's almost 2. I have lunch downstairs and then we can go out and get you some stuff." The man spoke quietly, more words than he usually said. Cloud nodded, confused.

It wasn't until he was in the washroom wiping off his face did he remember the events of the night before.

As he watched the water go down into the drain it suddenly changed into red, and then everything came back. He found himself on the floor, leaning against the toilet as Vincent barged in and pulled him up. He was in a daze as he was sat down and a glass of water was pushed into his hands.

It took Cloud almost 10 minutes to calm down. Vincent told him he was in shock, that his adrenaline rush from the night before had kept him in control during the events and right after. However, it was over now and all the stress was finally hitting him.

Cloud broke down and cried as he remembered Denzel, somewhere in a hospital in critical condition.

The next few days passed quickly for Cloud.

He spent most of his time at Vincent's, usually in front of the television watching the news. He watched as the report about Denzel was released, and that a mandatory curfew had been introduced to the entire city of Midgar immediately. Tifa and Yuffie came to visit, both terrified. The coffee shop was closed until further notice.

The day after he had arrived at Vincent's he called Marlene.

Barret had answered the phone, greeting him loudly and asking why he was calling from somewhere else besides his house or Denzel's cell. Any joy was gone from the conversation when he told him what had happened. The large man handed the phone to his daughter, and Cloud felt his heart break when he heard her shriek and sobs.

Denzel had yet to wake up from the injury. He was no longer in critical condition, but he was in a coma and could be for at least a month.

"Cloud, I need to go to the station for a little today. Are you alright with coming along?" Vincent asked him as he walked into the kitchen that morning, his uniform on. Cloud nodded, going to put his dishes in the sink.

The station was as he had remembered it. It was a little busier than it had been the night he was there, with the phone ringing every so often. Police officers sat in the locker room, exercising or chatting to their partners. He and Vincent passed them by as they headed to the offices.

Cloud found himself sitting in a waiting room as Vincent went to work. He read through one of the magazines, currently reading an article about whether or not a certain celebrity that he didn't know had fake breasts. A few officers stopped to ask him if he needed anything or where his guard was. But he spent a good hour alone.

"Oh hey! Haven't seen you around much." A familiar voice pulled him out of his article, and he looked up. Zack smiled at him, walking up to sit himself down next to him. He spread himself out, nearly hitting Cloud in the head with one of his arms.

"So how's staying with old Valentine? Boring dude if you ask me." He asked, giving him another smile. Cloud chuckled slightly. "He's not that boring. Just serious." Zack made a face and immediately paled when Vincent walked out from his office and gave the younger officer a glare.

"Don't you have anything better to do than mess up the chair?" He asked, annoying laced in his voice. Zack grinned, putting his feet up on the table as well. "Nope! Seph's not around and he didn't leave any orders so I pretty much just have paperwork."

Vincent sighed, before looking around. "Where is Sephiroth anyway?" He asked, noting that the man rarely took a day off. Zack shrugged. "It's Aerith's birthday today. He might have taken her out somewhere for the day."

The older man sighed again and went back into his office once making sure Cloud was okay. Zack answered the silent question. "Aerith is Sephiroth's little sister." His expression suddenly changed and he sighed.

"She has major organ failure and can't leave the house very often. Every year on her birthday Sephiroth hires out a limo and hauls her support system anywhere in the city and the area she wants to go. Last year she turned 18 and he took her to Costa Del Sol." Zack frowned, before standing and dusting off his pants.

"But she's alive and always seems to have a smile on her face, which is what matters the most. Well, off to paperwork!"

Cloud watched him walk back to his office, just in time for Vincent to come out and say that he was done. When they drove home he looked out the window and watched the few people that still were brave enough to walk outside.

It was then that he noticed that they were heading to the opposite side of the city, not back towards Vincent's place. "Where are we going?"

Vincent gave him half of a smile before focusing on the road. "I got a call from the hospital. Someone wants to see you."

Cloud nearly ran to the room that the nurse had told him his friend was in. Several doctors looked at him funny and yelled at him to walk, but he was too excited to slow down. The room was at the end of a hallway, on the corner of the building with a lot of windows.

Denzel sat in the bed, talking on the phone to someone. He glanced up when the door opened and a huge grin broke out over his face. He said goodbye quickly to the person on the phone and just watched his friend for a few seconds.

The two hugged for a few moments before Cloud sat down on a chair placed next to the bed. He could see the bandages on his arm and chest, and there was an IV attached to his wrist, but the equipment for someone who was about to die was nowhere in sight.

The happy moment passed though, as a sad expression crossed Denzel's face.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

Cloud gave him a sad smile and shook his head. "I'd rather be in this situation than have you not here anymore." He squeezed his friend's hand. "Have you talked to Marlene yet?"

"Yeah, I was just on the phone with her when you came in. I'm going to have a bunch of new bruises when she comes back." He laughed a bit, pointing at the faint bruise that his girlfriend had left on his arm before she had left. He paused for a second, planning out his words.

"She and Barret want me to go join them as soon as I'm able." Denzel told him quietly, playing with the sheets a bit. "I said yes, but I don't want to leave knowing that you have to deal with the shit from my screw up." Cloud sighed, shaking his head.

"Go. Nothing will happen to me." He smiled at his friend, who made a face.

"Last time you said something like that, didn't you get kidnapped by Yuffie and get dragged all the way to Cosmo Canyon to visit Cid? I didn't know where you were for a week man." The memory made him pause.

"And get a damn cell phone."

**To be continued –**

**Reviews are your friends people. **


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Note: There will be no warnings before a chapter with graphic scenes. It would ruin the effect of the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy or any of its characters.**

A quiet figure walked down the hallway, pausing when a door opened. Carefully, the person slipped into an adjoining hall and waited for the person to pass. Once he was sure that the coast was clear, he continued to the end of the hall.

Slowly he slid open the door, slipping into the room without a sound. Turning around, he faced the sole occupant of the room, who was deep asleep. He did not stir even when he pulled out a small needle and popped the cap off, wincing when it made a loud noise.

The tube from the IV to his arm was long enough that he was able to pull it up without it moving the sleeping man's arm. He slid the needle in cleanly and emptied out its contents. The liquid was clear and blended in perfectly with the rest of the medication in the bag.

Satisfied, he stood back from the sleeping figure, examining the relaxed face. Carefully, he slid a hand through soft hair and watched eyelashes flutter slightly.

"It's such a shame you can't be used anymore." The man sighed, his voice no more than a whisper. He walked back to the doorway, getting ready to leave.

"But it doesn't matter now, I suppose. I've found the perfect one."

Cloud spent the next week spending time in Denzel's hospital room, updating him on what was happening outside of the hospital and how he was faring while living with Vincent. His friend found it impossible to comprehend the possibility of his senior officer being anything but serious and neutral.

"Right, so according to you he's actually a very fun guy who likes getting drunk and watching action movies with you. Next you're going to be telling me he's got a girl as well." He snorted, giving Cloud an incredulous look. Cloud sighed, shaking his head at his friend's actions. "He does actually. He's been with Lucretia Crescent, from forensics for almost a decade now."

Denzel's eyes bugged out at him, his mouth open in astonishment as the fork he was holding slipped out of his hand and clattered against his lunch plate.

"Wait… you're telling me that Mr. Vincent-I-Never-Smile-Ever-Valentine is dating Dr. Crescent? Fucking hell man… he's got a babe." Cloud groaned and put his forehead in his hands, sighing at his ridiculous roommate.

Suddenly Denzel coughed and flinched, reaching for where the bandage was on his stomach. Cloud stood up, ready to help him if he needed it, but his friend waved him off and finished coughing, before relaxing back into the bed.

"I'm good, just a little uncomfortable." Denzel smiled. "I'm going to be discharged by the end of next week, and Barret is going to come and get me before taking me to Costa Del Sol. I get to see Marlene in a swimsuit!" He did a little mock dance from his spot on the bed. Cloud laughed a bit and reached out to steady the plate that was bouncing on his friend's lap, relaxing once more.

At that moment Vincent popped in, motioning at the time. Cloud looked up and sighed. "I'll see if I can come by tomorrow as well, though Vince needs to get into work at least once this week." Denzel waved him off, pulling out his phone to text his girlfriend.

The ride home was uneventful, with the duo listening to the radio while moving through the usual afternoon traffic. Since the attack on Denzel and him there had yet to be another sighting of the mysterious killer. A week of peace was enough to convince the citizens of Midgar that they could leave their houses to go for a walk on Main Street. But Cloud knew it wasn't over; the fact that he was still living with Vincent and the tracker bracelet flashing slowly on his wrist was proof of that.

A red light in front of them put the trip to a standstill, and Cloud amused himself by looking around outside at the people on the sidewalks. Several children were held by their hands by slightly nervous mothers, while a couple sprinted into a restaurant without letting go of each other or sparing any of the people around them a look. More people stayed among the crowd, moving as one large mass.

From the corner of his eye he noticed someone not moving, standing on the very edge of the sidewalk just ahead of them. Turning his head, his eyes widened ever so slightly at the man who stared directly back at him. Familiar limp brown hair and a tall thin body made him tower over the rest of the people who walked by him.

Cloud shuddered, thankful that the light changed and they passed him by. Glancing in the side mirror, he noticed that he was still looking after their car, not moving at all.

He was really glad that the police cars didn't have licence plates.

Cloud found himself in the waiting room of the police office once more, reading yet another trashy magazine. Zack was rushing around, with only enough time to say hello before running off with a stack of papers in his hands. The captain was at the station that day and it was obvious that he didn't let his lieutenant slack off while on duty.

Right then the silver haired man stalked by, reading a report as he went. He glanced at him for a moment, before nodding and continuing on his way. Cloud sighed and closed his eyes, silently praying for this entire ordeal to end and for him to be able to go back to work and go back to living with Denzel and trying to go back to the way it was before.

'But it'll never go back to the way it was before. Not after that.'

Suddenly someone sat next to him, letting out a sigh of his own. He found a steaming cup of coffee in front of him, which he took gratefully. Looking to who had joined him his eyes widened when the captain gave him a small smile.

"How have you been handling this?" He asked, his deep voice quiet. Cloud shrugged, unsure what to say to the man. "It could be worse, I know. At least I'm with someone I know and there isn't really anything that I'm being limited with. And now that Denzel is getting better I think everything will go on track."

The man smiled a bit more, before taking a sip of his coffee. "You remind me a bit of my sister. Optimistic even in the worst of situations." Cloud froze, wondering how to approach the situation of his sister. Gulping down some coffee, he figured it would be best just to let him know that he was aware.

"Zack told me about her. She's amazing to still have hope." He spoke quietly. The captain nodded, setting his cup down. "She is. You are quite a bit like her Mr. Strife, now that I have had a chance to talk to you."

Cloud smiled a bit, blushing slightly. "Thank you sir. But you can call me Cloud."

"Then I am Sephiroth to you."

Cloud smiled a bit at the older man, who turned suddenly and shot a glare at Zack. The black haired man froze from where he was apparently trying to sneak down the hall, and turned around slowly, a pout on his face. "But Seph…. I've been doing this for four hours!" Zack whined, collapsing against the wall.

"I don't care. And we're on duty, so act like it." Sephiroth told him sharply before sighing again and taking a large sip from his coffee. He waited for his co-worker to retreat back into before he dropped the serious façade.

The younger man watched the exchange with a raised eyebrow. The infamous captain was a little more humorous than he could have ever expected. The silver haired man didn't fail to notice and smiled a bit too. "He's good friends with Aerith." He told him as a way of an explanation.

"That's another thing you share with her too. You both seem to attract a certain lazy idiot."

Cloud laughed properly at that, earning a quiet chuckle from Sephiroth as well. The man glanced at his watch before frowning. "It's been nice talking to you Cloud, but I have a meeting now. I assume I'll be seeing you soon." With that, the older man stood and headed back down the hall with a nod at the blond man, leaving Cloud to watch the retreated form of the tall man.

"Cloud, I'm done for the day." Vincent suddenly spoke from the opposite hallway, pulling on his coat. "We've still got time, so do you maybe want me to drop you off at the hospital to have dinner with Denzel?" Cloud nodded and stood, following his friend out to the parking lot.

There was almost no traffic on the way back to the hospital compared to what had been there before. With sundown, the streets were suddenly emptied. He supposed it made sense, since you were usually safer when there was sunlight, but the murderer had attacked people in broad daylight, so that really didn't make much of a difference.

They made it to the hospital quickly, and Vincent pulled the car up to the drop off lane. Cloud nodded to him and opened the door, when suddenly a nurse ran out.

"Mr. Strife? Mr. Valentine? I'm afraid I need to see you both right now." The older woman had a gaunt look on her face, and through the doors Cloud could see several doctors milling around, shooting concerned looks through the sliding doors at them.

"I'm sorry. We don't know what is happening or why. There isn't anything we can do."

Cloud stared at the nurse in shock, the blood draining from his face.

Behind him Vincent was clutching the back of his chair so tightly he could hear the cheap plastic cracking. The woman shook her head sadly at the two of them pulling out another file.

"We don't know what could have caused it. The symptoms are the same as a kind of bacterial infection that is most often seen as a result of a lowered immune system, but the kind of bacteria that causes this cannot be found this far away from a forest, let alone in a hospital. The only thing we can assume is that it was coating the bullets that he was shot with and infected him that way." She showed them the doctor's diagnosis, earning a hiss from Cloud.

"Wouldn't you have noticed this in the bodies of the past victims?"

She shook her head again, sighing. "No. This is the first time that we've ever had someone who has been attacked come to us alive. By the time the others reached us they had been dead for at least 3 days and cleaned expertly. There wasn't even any blood left in the bodies that we could examine for any traces of it." She shuddered slightly; obviously the work the killer disgusted her.

"I'm sorry."

Denzel slept with the oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, each breath sounding magnified. Steady beeps came from several machines that surrounded him. Cloud sighed, holding his head in his hands. A hand reached over to him, ruffling his hair a bit.

His friend opened his eyes and looked at him sadly, his eyes tired over dark circles.

"Cloud," His voice was weak from the swelling in his throat. "Pass me my phone."

He did as he asked, handing him the cell. He watched as Denzel typed in a number he knew by heart, and held it to his ear. A distinctly female voice answered, chirpy and light.

"Hey sweetie… I don't think I can come see you in your swimsuit."

Cloud got the call just as he was going to bed. He had been expecting it, but he still found himself on his knees with the phone in his limp hands. A doctor was calling his name, but he cut the connection. Vincent came up behind him and guided him to the chair, putting the phone back on the hook and going off to get some water. Minutes later the phone rang again, and this time the older man picked it up. He could hear the screams and cries coming from across the line, his name being repeated over and over again.

The phone rang throughout night; from doctors who were trying to get through to him about his friend's family and belongings, from the police who were trying to get the facts in order to change the charge to murder, and from friends who needed to know he was okay.

Cloud refused to talk to anyone and Vincent was forced to reply to each and every call that came through over the hours.

Sephiroth sat with him in the waiting room again, watching him carefully as he slowly sipped his coffee. Cloud had yet to touch his own, instead staring at the steam that floated off of it. The captain was silent, just offering comfort if the younger man needed it.

Cloud closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. He could feel his emotions ready to boil over and was afraid that if it did he would break down and not be able to fix himself. The coffee was pushed in front of him again, and he tried to take a sip, but shuddered and put it back down. A large hand gently rubbed his back and neck.

"I'm afraid I need to go back to work, but I'm sure Zachary or one of the other men will come back to chat with you soon. If you need anything, Vincent is around or you can come to my office, just down the hall." Sephiroth stood, tipping his head to him before sweeping down the hallway and stepping into the furthest room.

He barely noticed as other people walked by, a few saying hi to him before wandering away when he didn't reply.

Cloud didn't know what to feel at that moment. His best friend was dead, his entire city was under lockdown, and his own life was in danger. The tracking bracelet blinked at him, the little green light too cheerful for such a dark purpose. Somehow he suspected that whoever the killer was, he wouldn't be stopped by a piece of jewelry and a few police officers. Gaia knew that he could easily take down one without even being there to finish him.

Sighing, he took a glance at the clock. Only an hour or so until they would be able to go home.

The next few days passed in the same manner, nothing changing. The city grew emptier and emptier even as no more murders occurred. Tifa left a day after Denzel's death, heading back to their old hometown to rejoin her parents until further notice. Even Yuffie was gone; off to stay with some friends. It was just him and Vincent left now.

Cloud wandered over to the tv set in the living room and turned it on as Vincent cooked dinner. Most of the news stations were covering a recent story of a landslide outside of Junon now, with all the activity at a standstill in Midgar.

'_And now back to local news, where a recent survey has discovered that a large percentage of the population of Midgar believes that the mass murderer, who recently killed a police officer, is in fact either a member of the government, or of law enforcement.' _Cloud snorted. People always blamed those in command when things went wrong, even if it was a natural disaster or something else completely out of their control. '_There is no backing to these claims, however they seem to persist, with many people saying that the victims may have been against the government, or saw something they shouldn't have.'_

He changed the channel to some sitcom and sighed. People were so stupid sometimes. If the government had been behind it, the bodies would have never been found, and they wouldn't have gone chasing Denzel around. Governments used men in black suits with black bags and a black van, not screaming and gunshots. And if anyone in the police was behind it, Sephiroth would have caught them ages ago.

'It could be anyone, which is what is most terrifying.' He sighed, shutting off the television and wandering to the window. No one was outside on the streets below the apartment, either because of the rain or because monsters hid in the alleys.

Cutlery clattered in the kitchen; "Food.", was Vincent's only mentioning of their supper being ready. Now that his blond friend didn't look like he was going to go drown himself in the toilet, the officer had reverted back to his old silent ways. Cloud didn't mind that much. At the moment, a bunch of nattering worrywarts was not what he needed.

They ate in silence, as always. Vincent was reading over a report of some kind; probably about the recent harassment charges that a young woman had filed against one of their officers. Total bullshit, as far as he had heard. The woman was dressed more like a whore than Tifa used to, and that was saying something. She was probably just after money and figured that now was the perfect time to do it, with all of the hype about the murderer possibly being an officer.

"Do you want to go anywhere tomorrow?" Vincent suddenly asked. Cloud frowned; there really wasn't anywhere to go besides his old apartment, which he wasn't going to be allowed to go to until the criminal was caught. But no one had been to the coffee shop since the day before he was attacked. 'Should check to see that nothing's been stolen.'

He relayed his idea to Vincent, who nodded and went back to eating. At least he'd be getting some sort of normalcy back into his life if he could at least visit his workplace.

He was pretty sure that if he had to spend a few more weeks sitting in the police station's seating area he would become a murderer himself.

**To be continued.**

**I'm pretty sure I could go this entire story without any speaking whatsoever.**

**Did I mention that I like reviews?**


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Note: There will be no warnings before a chapter with graphic scenes. It would ruin the effect of the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own final fantasy or any of its characters.**

As it figured, the coffee shop had been robbed.

Cloud had realized something was wrong the moment he'd unlocked the front door, and the door had jammed. The door only jammed when the last person who locked it didn't close it properly and didn't lift the door to let it rest on the frame. Occasionally Yuffie forgot, but she hadn't been to the store since he'd been there, and the last one to close up had been either Tifa or Barret.

He entered the café with caution, Vincent trailing behind him carefully when he realized that something was off about Cloud's behaviour.

When he flicked the lights on, his fears were confirmed. Chairs were scattered across the floor, with one of the sofas torn where someone must have dragged a knife over the old leather. Broken glass littered the floor near the bar; the remains of water glasses and juice bottles. Peering over the counter, Cloud groaned when he saw the mess that the coffee beans had created all over the kitchen area.

"Oh fuckidy fuck." He swore loudly as he tiptoed towards the cash box, but it was still locked. 'It would have been emptied before the store closed, since no one was going to come back.' He frowned. A lot of businesses were like that, and this must have been pretty recent for no one to have come and noticed this yet. So why did someone break into a shop with no money?

Vincent had already made his way into the back room, heading towards the security camera terminal. Cloud followed, sighing when he saw the lockers ripped open, several hanging off their hinges. His personally looked like someone had gone at it with a crowbar.

Glancing inside, he realized that he'd forgotten a coat and a few books. Well, what remained of the books at least. The pockets of his jacket were turned out and there was another long gash on one of the sleeves.

"It looks like someone was looking for something." Vincent spoke as he removed the DVD that contained the store video footage. He slipped it into a blank case and put it into one of his pockets and glanced around at the mess that surrounded them. "Whoever it was probably didn't find it, looking at the damage they must have done when they couldn't. They weren't that professional either if they didn't think to remove the security feed."

Cloud sighed again and pushed his coat away. Yep, that piece of clothing was a lost cause. Vincent was heading out the door; phone in hand to call the station. He wandered back into the main store, avoiding the shattered glass on the floor. They'd smashed the TV too, which was really bad because they'd only just been able to afford it.

His companion called to him from outside. "I've got to quickly run over to the station to drop off the tape. Don't leave the store." He ordered before the police sirens turned on and he heard the car speeding away.

Cloud stood awkwardly in the middle of his destroyed place of work.

Deciding there was nothing better to do, he walked towards the small closet behind the counter. Pulling out the broom – thankfully not broken - he started to sweep the scattered coffee beans into a pile to the side. Clearing a path on the floor for the police when they arrived, he glanced out the window, where the street contained a few people who peered curiously into the open door.

"Is the store open again?" A quiet voice came from the doorway, and Cloud turned around to see the new arrival. A tremor of fear went up his back when a familiar tall figure greeted him, the lank brown hair framing a pale face.

He tried to calm himself, and appear in control. "No… Sorry. We're just cleaning up now." Cloud cursed himself at how shaky his voice sounded. The man looked around the store, pausing for only a second when his gaze crossed over the young man in the middle of the store. "That's too bad…" He looked like he wanted to step further into the store.

"I'm sorry, but I'll need you to leave. I have to keep cleaning." He forced a small smile on his face and walked over to the door to open it further for him. He stared at Cloud for a second longer, but walked out again.

Cloud let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He was really trying to not force his suspicion on any person that passed him, but it was really easy to image that even a person who looks at you for a second longer is planning your death right there.

He locked the door for safety once the man was out of sight. Suddenly he didn't feel like cleaning anymore. He was sure the police would bring someone in to get rid of most of the mess, and they could leave the rest till this was all over and they were ready to open again.

Sighing again, Cloud picked up one of the fallen chairs and set it upright, before sitting down. 'Tifa's gonna have a conniption when she finds out about this.' The woman had put a lot of effort into this store, and though both she and Barret equally owned the place, she had practically created the café.

The sound of cars pulling up outside the store snapped Cloud of his reverie, and quickly he got up to unlock the door for the police officers. Zack bounded in, stopping smack in the middle of the wreckage to take in the damage. He whistled, before spinning around facing his blond companion.

"You know, if I'd known about this place beforehand, I would definitely have come here." The lieutenant grinned at him before addressing the two other officers that accompanied him. "You guys, start the prep for forensics. Dr. Crescent'll be here in about half an hour, but you can clear the floor to the walls and the other damaged places.

"Cloud, was anything stolen?" Zack asked him as he pulled out a notepad, pen poised to begin writing. Cloud shook his head, relaying that there had been no money in the store since they hadn't been planning to come back for a while.

As Zack puttered around looking at the damage, Cloud suddenly remembered the state of his locker. "Vincent said they were probably looking for something, and my locker was a total mess." He frowned, wondering who could possibly want something of his.

The older man paused, his brow furrowing as he thought about it. Looking past Cloud, he caught sight of the torn jacket that hung from the blonde's locker. "Did you leave anything in your pocket?" He asked, glancing at the young man. Cloud shifted from one foot to the other as he tried to think of what he'd done the last day he'd been in the shop. He obviously hadn't forgotten his keys, and his wallet was in his pocket, so nothing of worth could have been in them.

Shrugging, he leaned against the chair that sat in the middle of the destroyed room. "I can't remember. There might've been some receipts or something, but not anything that I'd miss if I didn't have it." Zack frowned, motioning for one of the officers to take the jacket. The uniformed man put the clothes into a large plastic back, sealing it quickly before putting it with the other pieces of evidence they'd already amassed from around the store.

"I don't want to jump to conclusions, but looking at your current situation, it could be the murderer." Zack spoke quietly, putting his notepad back into his pocket. "But for all we know it's just some kids who are taking advantage of the panic and decided to trash the place. It wouldn't be the first."

The two of them looked around at the mess that had been left. "Still, this is a bit much." Zack conceded and sighed, heading back outside to his car to contact the station.

Cloud wandered back into the staff room, staying out of the way of the two officers who were taking his trashed possessions from his locker and putting them into plastic bags. One of the men nodded at him, before the two exited the small room and headed back out to the trucks as well.

Glancing around the area again, he leaned against the back door, closing his eyes.

He felt it move behind him, a barely audible click echoing through the empty locker room when the doorknob moved back into its closed position. Whirling around, he frowned when he opened the door again, glancing out into the back alley. Cloud knew he hadn't opened the door, and none of the officers had been back there except for Vincent and the man who had taken the remains of his clothes and books from the locker. "Hey Zack?" He called, hearing the man talking to one of his coworkers in the main area again.

He stuck his head through the doorway, looking quizzically at Cloud until he noticed the open door. Pulling his hands out of his pocket, he ushered the other away and opened the door further, tsking when he glanced down at the outer doorknob. "Well, I guess we know how he got in without damaging the front door." Zack muttered, kneeling to get a better look at the destroyed lock.

The two moved out of the way quickly when a forensics worker moved between them, hands already pulling on latex gloves and pulling out a box of powder. Cloud looked up at the older man, who shrugged, pulling out his notepad and adding their finding to the long list that he'd already amassed. The officer on the ground wiped away the white powder that now covered the doorknob.

"No prints," The man told them, standing straight. "but the damage was done by a bullet, fairly powerful and from a close range." He explained, saluting to Zack before heading out through the store with his case.

Zack sighed, pushing the door further open and stepping out into the back alley. Following him, Cloud noticed that the other officer's had already taped off the small space, the yellow strands just visible around the corner.

"Aha!"

Cloud jumped, glaring at the black-haired man who grinned at him before pointing at a particularly muddy patch. Scowling, he looked down at the before-mentioned piece of dirt, not understanding what exactly about it created enough attention to excuse scaring the living daylights out of him. Moving a bit to allow the light from the staff room behind him out into the alley, Cloud's eyes widened slightly when he noticed the large impression almost exactly in the middle of the mud.

It took him a few seconds to realize that the dent was a large footprint, barely discernible from the surrounding concrete and dirt in the alley. Zack whistled, brushing away some loose dust that had gathered on top of the print. "Dude has a big foot, whoever he is. Must be popular with the ladies." An annoying grin made its way onto his face, and Cloud found himself overcome with the urge to whack it off of him.

"Hey fellas, get that forensics guy over here, will ya?" He called, standing up and leaving Cloud staring at the impression while he walked back into the shop through the back door.

Cloud shivered suddenly, his hands going up to clench around his upper arms as a cold wind blew into the alley. Frowning at the mark on the ground, he wondered if the man it belonged to was out somewhere, planning his death maybe. Whoever he was had the contents of his ruined jacket's pocket too, as well as Denzel's blood on his hands, most likely.

A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts, his head snapping up to stare at the person with wide eyes. Letting out a sigh of relief, Cloud let Vincent pull him up and lead him back through the shop and into his police cruiser. Glancing through the window after he sat down in the passenger seat, he watched the police officers walk by the front door to the coffee shop, one of them sweeping away broken glass and coffee beans from the floor.

"Tifa's gonna be pissed." He muttered as Vincent sat down in front of the wheel, the sound of the engine roaring nearly drowning out his comment. The older man sighed, pulling the car away from the crime scene and out onto the main road. "One of the women at the station left a message on her and Barret's cells." He explained, before the car turned silent while they made their way to the police station.

Cloud sat down in his usual seat on the couch at the back of the large reception area of the building, waving absently to one of the ladies sitting at the desks who greeted him cheerfully. Vincent stalked off quickly, disappearing into one of the many doors that lined the hall and leaving his charge alone. Another door opened soon after, and a large boot stepped out before Cloud looked up to meet the eyes of the police captain.

Sephiroth nodded to him quickly, before heading back into his office. He emerged again a second later, a styrofoam cup in his hand. Cloud smiled slightly as the tall man handed him the steaming drink, before blowing carefully over the hot liquid. Sephiroth stood there for a minute as he waited for the younger man to take a sip, before clearing his throat.

"Valentine has said that you'll need to stay here for several hours." The man told him, appearing slightly uncomfortable and continuously glancing back at the closed office door behind him. Cloud nodded, an eyebrow raised slightly. "I was wondering if you'd be willing to keep someone company for me until I return from my meeting." Sephiroth asked, visibly relaxing when he nodded without hesitation.

Cloud's eyes widened slightly when the officer door opened, and a young woman peeked through the gap between the frame and the dark wood. The police captain turned around at his expression, before reaching out towards the stranger and holding the door open for her.

At once he realized that this was Aerith, Sephiroth's famous sister that both Zack and the silver-haired man had spoken of on several occasions. As she stepped out, Cloud immediately took note of the IV on wheels that she held with a tight grip, white knuckles clenched around the support handle as she slowly pulled the trolley out of the doorway. She grinned at him, her entire face lighting up and her green eyes flashing slightly. She had long brown hair - probably as long as her brother's – tied up in a high pony-tail, which drifted down behind the loose dress that she wore.

"Hi!" She quipped, her grin growing (if that was possible) as Sephiroth helped her over to the couch. "So you're Cloud right?" She asked, her attention focused completely on him. To his chagrin, Cloud could feel the telltale heat of a blush going up his neck, and he swore he could see the police captain smirking slightly from the corner of his eye. Nodding mutely, he resorted to staring back down at the still-steaming cup of coffee that was clenched in-between his slightly sweating palms. Across from them, Sephiroth bid his farewells, before heading down the hallway.

Cloud internally cursed himself for being such an awkward person, though most likely the young woman beside him would pin his silence on the effect of the events that had recently plagued his lifestyle. Without letting her smile fall from her face, she glanced down at the white cup that he was precariously close to crushing between his hands.

"You work in a coffee shop right?" He glanced up at her, nodding quickly. "Then that instant stuff must taste like sewer crud to you then." She giggled, watching him pull a face before schooling it back. "…S'not bad." He mumbled, setting the styrofoam cup down on the table in front of him. Aerith continued without skipping a beat, her cheerful voice easily filling the space left by his social ineptitude. "I personally can't stand the stuff. I'm not supposed to drink it anyway though, so I guess it works." She smiled, and Cloud couldn't help glancing up at the IV that towered over the two of them from beside the couch.

Following his gaze, she sighed slightly, before smiling again. "Don't worry about that. I just have it most of the time so I don't get dehydrated. I'm actually doing really well." She grinned, pumping her fist for emphasis. Cloud relaxed slightly, noting that she looked much more active and her skin more flushed than he'd expected from what Zack had told him.

"I had a lung transplant a couple of weeks ago actually." She continued, staring across the hall to where phones were being answered in the entranceway. "It's the third transplant I've had in the past two months, but it seems that they're finally starting to pay off."

Cloud grinned at that, finally looking at her full out. Aerith returned his expression, before stretching out slightly and flopping against the back of the couch.

Shifting slightly at the close proximity to the bubbly girl, he noted the way her hair spilled over the leather cushion, looking slightly familiar.

"Yeah, doesn't look a huge amount like my brother's, I know." She spoke, though that hadn't been what he was thinking of. "I've got my mum's hair, though Seph looks a lot more like her. You've met her, actually." Cloud paused, in the middle of taking another sip of his coffee.

"…?" She smiled. Glancing down the hall to see if anyone was coming. Leaning over to him, she whispered in his ear, her breath sending goose bumps down his neck. "She's dating your guard."

"What?" He nearly shrieked, before covering his mouth and turning towards him companion and continuing in a more subdued voice. "Dr. Crescent is your mother? She doesn't look much older than you!." Aerith giggled at his reaction, her green eyes twinkling. "Yeah, but then again you'd never guess Vincent's age by looking at him."

She leaned back again when they stopped laughing, her eyes drifting slightly shut. "She divorced my dad when I was pretty little, but I was with my dad until a few years before he died." Cloud's lips thinned, glancing at the girl beside him. "He did some dumb stuff, though I think he meant well." She shrugged, looking up at the clock on the waiting area table. They'd been talking for well over an hour at this point.

"Sephiroth took me in after I turned eighteen though, since he's usually around more than mum. He isn't home as much now though, with what's happened." Sighing, Cloud felt a bit of the humor that had filled their conversation drift away slightly as the two thought about the circumstances that were probably the only reason the two would've met.

The sound of a door opening down the hall pulled them from their thoughts, and the two glanced up simultaneously as Sephiroth walked around the corner, a tight smile on his face. "Thank you for keeping her company, Cloud." He nodded at him as he helped Aerith from the couch.

"Bye Cloud!" Her chipper voice pulled a final smile out of him, and he waved as the two headed out of the station. A second later Vincent exited the meeting room, files tucked under his arm.

Cloud followed him towards the police car, feeling lighter than he had in a while.

**To be continued -**

**There. Stop bugging me and let me go graduate high school.**

**On a random note, it took me five tries to spell Styrofoam. I don't like that word.**


End file.
